TACLOBAN CITY – At least 241 roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vehicles—comprising 215 cargo trucks and 26 fuel tankers—have availed of the government’s Libreng Sakay program as of June 24, bringing much-needed relief to haulers affected by the weight restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge.
The free transport service, launched on June 18, is part of a flagship response by the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Council (RIACC) through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region VIII, following mounting logistical concerns triggered by the three-ton load limit imposed on the country’s longest bridge.
Implemented along the Tacloban–Amandayehan–Basey corridor, the Libreng Sakay initiative uses 24/7 RORO operations to ferry essential and perishable goods between Samar and Leyte—ensuring the uninterrupted flow of food, fuel, and medicine across the region.
“This program has been a lifeline for our truckers and distributors,” said OCD-8 in a statement. “It allows us to maintain the flow of vital commodities while long-term solutions for the San Juanico Bridge are being prepared.”
The government rolled out the emergency transport solution after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) enforced a weight restriction in May due to structural cracks and wear detected during a routine inspection of the San Juanico Bridge—a 2.16-kilometer structure connecting the islands of Samar and Leyte.
The bridge, built in 1973, plays a critical role in the movement of goods throughout Eastern Visayas.
The restrictions halted the movement of heavy vehicles across the bridge, straining supply chains and threatening shortages in fuel, food, and medicine in parts of the region.
To address the emerging crisis, the Libreng Sakay program was rapidly deployed and is now operating nonstop—day and night, rain or shine—with the support of key implementation partners, including the Traffic Operations Management, Enforcement, and Control Office (Tomeco) of the Tacloban city government, Joint Task Group Tacloban, and the 63rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.
Local logistics companies and fuel distributors have welcomed the initiative, saying it has helped cushion the economic impact of the San Juanico bottleneck.
While Libreng Sakay is seen as a short-term remedy, it also underscores the urgency of the national government’s infrastructure plans—including the rehabilitation of the aging San Juanico Bridge and proposals for a long-awaited second span.
Authorities said they are continuously monitoring cargo volume and bridge traffic while exploring alternative transport routes to avoid disruption of services.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
